Damage Control; Propagation Station

A guide to practical biological pest control.

Biological pest control is the adaption of beneficial elements, pathogens, parasites, and predators in a passive system that manages pests and their damaging effects. Proper identification of your surroundings, it’s species and distinguishing pests from their enemies, is essential to the systems success. These natural allies can be attracted to defend land by passive elements, such as, the type of forest trees, the wild flowers that grow, or by augmentations made to the landscape. Striving to provide a habitat for these important organisms, allows them to prosper, while reducing the numbers of pesky intruders. These are the skills necessary for the passive management of pests, with nothing more, then surrounding wildlife.

Propagation Station

Do you have shitty soil? we sure did, Monoculture Corn used to grow at valhalla….yummy. But you can’t let this get you down, where there is lemon there is lemonade, and where there is unbelievable nutrient deprived soil, there is an opportunity to apply observations.

Decaying matter is the secret to great soil

The organic matter was striped from this soil every year and tilled. this caused the degradation of the natural top soil. when the top soil leaves, so does water moisture, so do insects and the whole food web begins to collapse.

when organic matter is allowed to decay on a soil, the main supporters of our food web go to work. the bacterias and the fungi. These organism feed the rest of the food chain, which feeds on a mix of the decaying matter and themselves. This strong foundation is what can allow for the complexity of life above the soil.

So we will recreate the proper conditions for the food web to thrive in the soil of our propagation bed. These beds are used for Valhalla’s nursery needs. Seeds are started in this soil, Clones are duplicated here and when they are old enough they are transplanted to a new location.

The advantage of this design

• All your young vulnerable plants are in one location.
• Easily to manage, Easily to look After.
• Decaying matter holds moisture, less watering
• fungus network help roots
• insects aerate the soil
• makes any soil – The best soil!

Ingredients

 

Directions

Logs are placed in a trench and covered with grass. You cover this portion with earth and grass, this will be the spark that lights this beds fire. The chemical reactions that occur in this layer will heat and foster the decay of the entire end. Place a layer of leaves over that layer. Cover it all with a layer of compost and black earth. Your done.

You can make it as big or as small as you want. The bed will reach maximum performance in its third year, but can be used immediately.

Want to learn more?

There’s only one way for me to know that you guys LIKE this, and want to see more. With one click you can support this practical knowledge being turned into a full and visual learning experience. We have some great episodes in the works for you, and I hope you continue to check in to get a new dose of Damage Control.

Water management for wet and dry soils

Do you have water problems, of any kind? Well don’t worry, you have what it takes to be the master of your own domain. learn to observe and change your landscape so water works for you. Find the direction in which it is moving and apply the practical skills to control and guide it.

Clever like a fox

In the future editions of this series, we become real life pokemon masters, as we attempt to catch our very own fox. No, we will not set deadly traps, but clever, cozy ones. By augmenting your environment you can make the stars aling and attract a fox to start a new den in the ideal situation you’ve presented before him. – Its not just the fox that can be clever.

And much much more!

The practical skills are as endless as nature herself. everything is a tool to the master who perfects the art of applying what he observes to be true. Having nature work with you is not a thing of myth, and if you follow along with these practical skills you will find yourself surrounded by your allies, in a sea of green.